The wRap Indonesia: Jan. 15, 2015

JAKARTA, Indonesia – The results of the fit-and-proper test for Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as the next Indonesian Police chief and the latest on the search for the AirAsia QZ8501 fuselage lead our wrap of stories from Indonesia today.

1. Police chief nominee turned corruption suspect passes fit-and-proper test

Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan has been plagued by corruption allegations for years, was officially named a corruption suspect by the anti-graft agency two days ago, and was banned from traveling yesterday. But on Thursday, January 15, the House of Representatives decided Budi – President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s sole nominee – was “fit and proper” to become the next Indonesian Police chief. The ball is now in Jokowi’s court, as he can still change his mind about who to appoint, but much speculation abounds about the politics behind the selection of Budi, who was adjutant to the president’s political patron, former President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Already, antigraft activists are protesting and calling on Jokowi to fulfill his promises. Read the full story in Bahasa Indonesia on Rappler. 

2. Divers search for victims in AirAsia wreckage

An advance team of 15 divers plunged into the waters of the Java Sea early Thursday to examine the main portion of the crashed AirAsia jet located by the Singapore Navy the previous day.”They will first assess how many bodies are still trapped inside the fuselage,” S.B. Supriyadi, a rescue agency official coordinating the search, said, adding that about 100 more divers would join the effort after the initial assessment. “Hopefully we can retrieve all the victims as soon as possible.” Just 50 bodies of the 162 on board have so far been recovered. If divers had problems retrieving bodies from the wreckage while it is still on the seabed, officials would try to lift it. Read the full story on Rappler.

3. Gas prices may go down to IDR6,400 per liter

Soon, Indonesian motorists might be able to enjoy gas prices lower than what it was before President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo reduced the fuel subsidy in November. Global oil prices are now below $50 a barrel, and Jokowi said on Thursday the government will likely reduce gas prices again soon. “Soon we will announce again, more or less it will go down again. We haven’t decided yet, but it’s possible to go down to IDR6,400-IDR6,500 (about $0.51),” he said during a speech on Indonesia’s economic outlook. Subsidized gas was priced at IDR6,500 before Jokowi lifted it to IDR8,500 on November 18. It’s now at IDR7,600 in line with falling world oil prices. 

4. Netizens jump to defend antigraft chief against allegedly scandalous photos

The Indonesian online world was abuzz Wednesday over photos allegedly showing Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief Abraham Samad, a married man, kissing beauty queen Elvira Devinamira. Samad was quick to say the photos were fake, and netizens jumped to his defense. Well known digital artist Agan Harahap, for example, tweeted a realistic looking but obviously photoshopped image of Samad with Puff Duddy massaging him to show how easily digita manipulations can be done. Another Twitter user calling himself Travel Photographer said analysis of the image showed use of imaging software. Read the full Bahasa Indonesia story on Rappler.

Yang sabar yaa masnya.. Rileks saja.. Badai pasti berlalu.. #pijetdulubiargaktegang pic.twitter.com/XyO22Y9SVL

— Agan Harahap (@aganharahap) January 14, 2015

Lihat bagian tekstur foto ini. Terdapat perbedaan signifikan atas penggunaan software imaging atas foto ini. pic.twitter.com/ATWVhrhWqj

— Travel Photographer (@yunaidijoepoet) January 14, 2015

5. Yudhoyono tweets his two cents on ‘Charlie Hebdo’

I agree this is a sensitive & difficult issue. No easy solutions. But a world that is “a little bit” better is still achievable. *SBY*

— S. B. Yudhoyono (@SBYudhoyono) January 14, 2015

 In a series of 45 tweets, former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, now the chair of the Global Green Growth Institute, on Wednesday evening, January 14, shared his thoughts on the Charlie Hebdo attack and its fallout, as well as the controversial publication of another cartoon with the Prophet Mohammed. The problem, he said is the fundamental difference between the West and Islam. “For the West, the caricature of the Prophet Muhammad is part of freedom of speech or expression. It is absolute, it shouldn’t be limited. But for the Islamic world, that act is defamation and blasphemous. That person must receive a sanction.” Read the full account on Rappler. – Rappler.com